


Blue Sea

by Scattered_Irises



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Accidental Death, Aged-Up Character(s), Based off of Delicious from Pet Shop of Horrors, Drowning, Dysfunctional Relationships, F/M, M/M, Mermaids, Mild Gore, Nightmares, POV First Person, brief sex scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:07:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29248530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scattered_Irises/pseuds/Scattered_Irises
Summary: Take a left down from Heartland’s Main Street. Keep on going until the buildings slowly become more and more dilapidated. Once you’ve passed Pearl Boulevard, you’ve officially entered the Quartz Quarter. There, amidst the empty storefronts and sidewalks littered with garbage lies Emperor Thousand’s Pet Shop, a place where miracles happen.In the wake of his husband’s death, Thomas receives a call from the mysterious owner of the pet shop. When he arrives at the store, he finds a second chance.
Relationships: IV | Thomas Arclight/Kamishiro Rio, Thomas Arclight/Kamishiro Ryouga
Kudos: 4





	1. Siren Song

**Author's Note:**

> This is from my ninth writing journal. i am currently starting my tenth. As you can see, I was experimenting with first-person fics. Along with that, I am slowly shifting my present tense writing style to past-tense, due to the latter's additional flexibility. Going from present to past, I have realized that present tense makes the reader feel more "trapped." 
> 
> Of course, in fics such as Of Lace and Porcelain, that is exactly how I want my readers to feel. You are with the victims, subject to Thomas' sudden whims. Yet, in this fic, I think past tense provides more mobility. You are not meant to be with the victim. You are merely a companion in a flawed human being's mind.

_ Come to the ocean, where my song resides _

_ I’ll tell you a story about a siren who—dare I say it? _

_ Ate a man in order to become alive _

_ Gristle, blood and bone _

__ “Ryoga..!” I yelled. 

He continued to sit on his rock, a guitar in his hands. Softly, he strummed and continued to sing in his gentle baritone, not hearing me. Under the moonlight, he seemed almost like a ghost. His feet were bare, partially buried in the wet sand. A thoughtful expression filled his face as he played, thin brows angled to the extreme. In the background, the ocean waves  _ hsshed  _ back and forth, providing percussion to his bass. 

_ All the way down her throat and nestled deep in her stomach.  _

“Ryoga!” I yelled again. 

The wind carried off my voice, turning it into a hoarse whisper. 

_ Legs, so slender and pale.  _

“Ryoga!” I called, trying to walk towards him. 

_ Siren song, oh siren song.  _

He continued to strum his guitar. His lips continued to mouth out the lyrics to the song, yet I heard nothing. Quickly, I looked around. We were surrounded by sandstone cliffs, their shadows framing the beach. Tall grass grew on the cliffs, quietly rustling in the night air. The sky was ablaze with stars, twinkling in time to the beat. I felt the breeze pick up, turning into a wind that tossed sand in my eyes. Regardless, I forced myself to carry on, footsteps sinking into the cool sands. Once again, I called his name. 

“Ryoga!”

His slim fingers danced across the strings of his bass. Slowly, he turned towards me. In the moonlight, his eyes were like black pools of water. I didn’t know what resided in those murky depths but I didn’t care. He was here.  _ He was here. _ Ignoring the chill that ran through me, I rushed towards him, fighting against the strengthening breeze. He languidly stood up and opened his mouth, lips moving in slow motion. Only the murmuring sounds of the ocean were heard. His expression was an empty void. 

“Ryoga!” I screamed, my voice hoarse. 

Before I could reach him, he leapt into the waters, his guitar left on the rock. 

The winds resided with his departure and I quickly ran up to where he was. I peered into the pitch-black waters, hoping to catch a glimpse of something _ —someone— _ familiar. 

“Ryoga?”

It seemed to be the only thing I could say. I called his name a few more times, although a part of me expected no reply.  _ He was gone.  _ Leaning closer towards the water, I dipped my fingers in. The coldness chilled me to the bone. Unlike the ocean I knew, this one did not reflect the radiant skies above. Despair filled my chest. I was surrounded by nothing but sand, ocean, stars and sky. As the water lapped at my hands, I felt the urge to pull away.  _ He was gone.  _

_ Plish!  _ Before I could, a hand, pale as snow shot out of the waters and wrapped around my wrist, sharp black nails digging into my skin. I let out a silent scream as the hand pulled me into the water, the coldness spreading throughout my body. No matter what I did, the hand continued to pull me in. Before long, I was surrounded in frigid, inky blackness, the waters pressing the air out of my lungs. 

I woke up gasping, my hand wrapped around my throat.  _ That nightmare again.  _ Ryoga’s face, with his black eyes, lingered in my mind. The same moon. The same sparkling expanse of stars. The same cold ocean. A different, yet same face. An absence of song, replaced only with a long scream. Falling, falling petals. And then a heavy splash of water. 

_ That’s right.  _ Our wedding-funeral night, as I have come to privately call it. The silver moonlight had only touched the surface of the water. Ryoga’s body was hungrily swallowed up in the black abyss of the ocean, his navy-blue suit seemingly dissolving into the darkness as he sank into its frigid depths, never to resurface again. Only the flowers from his corsage remained, looking like little flecks of stars from the deck of the cruise ship. 

Burying my face in my hands, the events of our wedding night raced through my mind. There was no escape.  _ He was gone.  _ A scream threatened to rip from my throat, although I knew that it would have done me no good. 

_ R-ring! R-ring!  _ I slowly peeled my hands away from my face and looked at the telephone by my bedside. I had only  _ just  _ plugged it back in yesterday. Muttering under my breath, I grabbed it. 

“Shut the hell up, Chris. I’m fi _ — _ ”

“Hello? This is Emperor Thousand's Pet Shop. Who am I speaking to?” answered an unfamiliar voice. 

I swallowed hard, feeling heat fill my cheeks. The man sounded so calm, despite my misaimed outburst. 

“Er, sorry about that. You’re speaking to Thomas Arclight,” I replied awkwardly. 

On the other side of the line, I heard some clicking, as if a ledger was being opened up. 

“Ah...My sincere condolences, Mr. Arclight.” 

My heart ached in pain as Ryoga’s face filled my mind. I had reached out to him. I had tried to save him. 

“A few days ago, your husband’s specially ordered pet arrived. Due to his passing, we are unsure what to do with it and as you are his legal husband, we wanted to consult you,” said the mysterious voice. 

I threw the sheets off, surprise filling my eyes. 

“A pet?” I asked, surprised. 

“Yes. He never told you?” 

“No..,” I mumbled, running through the memories before the accident. 

_ Nothing.  _ My lip trembled. It must have been a surprise.  _ Oh, Ryoga.  _

“Ah. I see. Shall I cancel his or _ —” _

__ “No,” I interjected, getting out of bed. “I’ll be right there. Just give me your address.”

I yanked open the cabinet beside my bed, scrambling for a pen and a notepad. When I found the two, branded with my signature  _ IV,  _ I quickly clicked open the pen and rested it on the creamy white paper. 

“I’m ready,” I said. 

“Very well. Our address is…” 

After I wrote down the directions, my heart skipped a beat.  _ The Quartz Quarter.  _ That’s where the pet shop was? Quickly thanking the shop owner, I tucked the note in my pocket. 

“We shall see you soon,” said the man. 

_ Click.  _ I rested the phone back in its cradle and pulled on a jacket that had been haphazardly thrown on my bed. For the first time in two weeks, I felt something akin to hope. Even if Ryoga was gone, perhaps his pet would remind me of him.


	2. The Prince of the Ocean

# Chapter 2: The Prince of the Ocean

Before me, the unremarkable pet shop stood. Its windows were darkened and I couldn’t see beyond the sign that hung there. I checked the map again and looked around. Heartland City’s Quartz Quarter had meant to be an upscale part of town, filled with high end stores and luxury boutiques. Unfortunately, after the WDC and the Barian Invasion, most of them had fled to safer cities. What was left were a series of smashed in storefronts and cracked sidewalks. Garbage littered the streets and not a single O-bot was seen. 

I was surprised that there was still business here. Yet now that I thought of it, this would be the exact part of town Ryoga would have done his shopping in. Like him, this place had fallen from grace, awaiting a revival. The only difference between him and the Quartz Quarter was that he was able to rise up again. 

I took in a deep breath. _Here goes nothing._

Stepping through the pet store’s double doors, I was immediately surrounded by the heady smell of incense. I blinked for a few moments, my eyes watering. It must have been to disguise the smell of the pets. As my body slowly accustomed to its new surroundings, I hesitantly walked in. The pet store was dimly lit with a single light hanging from the ceiling. It was a pretty light, decorated with tiles forming curlicues of flowers and butterflies. Too bad it wasn’t particularly functional. The light was a dark amber, barely making a difference from the rest of the shadows. 

“Hello there, Mr. Arclight. If you please, we can sit down over there and have some tea,” called a voice from the shadows. 

I jumped, wildly turning towards the voice. From the darkness seemed to emerge a man with long, shadowy hair and deep red bangs. He wore robes that were equally dark, patterned with embroidered flowers against a background of black. Long fingers with black and sharp nails rested by his sides. His mismatched eyes regarded me carefully as he stepped into the amber light. 

“Are you Emperor Thousand?” I asked. 

The man nodded and motioned towards the sofa. It must have been a stage name. I could respect that. I took a seat and jumped as another young man, clad entirely in black seemed to materialize out of the shadows with a tray of tea. 

“Thank you, Mist,” murmured the store proprietor as the tea was placed on the mahogany table. 

As silent as he had arrived, Mist slid away. I turned back to the man before me, despite the slight prickles that were crawling up my spine. He began to pour the tea for both of us, its pleasant aroma melding with the incense. I stifled a sneeze and blinked a few times. 

“To be precise, Emperor Thousand is my honorary title. My name is Don,” explained the man. 

“Why Emperor Thousand?” I asked as I regarded the tea. 

Don took a graceful sip of his tea, his silky tresses sliding towards his elegant face. A small smile filled his alarmingly red lips. 

“Because it is said that I have one thousand pets and they all regard me as their ruler,” chuckled Don. “Which isn’t true, by the way.” 

I raised a bushy eyebrow and looked around at the dimly lit pet store. 

“Is your establishment legal?” I asked in a lowered voice. “Not that it really matters. I’m taking Ryoga’s pet, even if it’s an endangered snow leopard.”

Don’s laugh was filled with derision, as if he were witnessing the antics of a silly child. 

“Of course my store is legal! I could show you our certificates and documents in the back if you’d like,” he offered. 

“Er, no. It’s quite alright. I was just surprised that I’ve never heard of your store before,” I replied awkwardly. 

Hesitantly, I took a sip of the tea. _Woah._ It was delicious. Don beamed at my reaction. 

“What can I say? This store is a hidden gem in the Quartz Quarter.”

“Mmm.” 

Before I realized it, I had emptied my cup. The pet store owner quickly moved to refill it. I thanked him and then leaned back in my seat.

“What exactly did Ryoga order? A dog? A cat? A fish?”

I received a nod at _fish._

“A very rare species, too. We had only just received it last Tuesday,” replied Don. 

My eyes widened. 

“That was our wedding night.” 

_And Ryoga’s death._

“Once again, I would like to offer my condolences.”

I sighed. The radio stations had gone insane. My phone was quickly filled to the brim with messages. All of the networks had hour-to-hour coverage of the incident. I still hadn’t answered any of the messages that awaited me or listened to them. It was all just static at this point. I took another sip of the sweet smelling tea. 

“Could we look at this fish now?” I asked, changing the subject. 

Don languidly removed himself from the sofa, a shimmer in his eyes. His movement brought to mind a slow moving stream, every movement smoothly sliding into the next.

“Of course. Follow me.” 

I drained my cup and followed him. He opened the back door to the pet shop and led me down a passage full of winding corridors. From the outside, I never expected it to be so big. Our footsteps fell silent on the soft carpeting. Like the front of the store, it was dimly lit by the occasional amber light. The smell of the incense followed us all the way, never dissipating. As much as I tried to peer into the doors that we passed by, I could see nothing. Distantly, I could hear the cries of birds and loud barking. Sometimes, I thought I could even hear the howling of monkeys. 

“This way,” said Don as he disappeared down a narrow corridor. 

“What kind of a fish is it anyways?” I began as the lights began to grow dimmer. “A beta? A goldfish?”

The pet shop owner chuckled again with the same derision in his voice. He stopped before a large set of copper doors at the end of the corridor. Procuring a key from his pocket, he unlocked the doors and swung them open. 

“See for yourself,” he invited. 

In the dimly lit room, I saw an opaque earthen vase that almost touched the high ceiling. A ladder leading to a platform overlooking the top of the vase stood in the corner. The room was surrounded by candles, creating warped shadows across the room. From a record player, the sound of ocean waves was heard. When I took in a deep breath, I noticed that the incense had finally given way to the smell of sea salt. I stood there for a few moments, shocked that such a thing existed in this store. Gently, Don nudged me. 

“Go on. He’s waiting for you,” he called softly. 

Giving myself a shake, I stepped forwards. 

“Ah, right. Take this with you.”

I paused and saw Don take a candle from its place. Hesitantly, I took it, the fire flickering ominously. Even if the incident had happened a decade ago, I still couldn’t forget what I had done. Noticing my discomfort, Don looked around at the room. 

“I could get you a lantern from the backrooms,” he offered. 

Quickly, I shook my head. I wanted to see the fish now. I bounded towards the ladder. With each rung I ascended, I could hear a hollow ring echoing throughout the room. _Like funeral bells._ When I arrived at the top, I peered into the inky blackness. 

“There’s nothing the—”

My blood turned to ice as I saw a flicker of a large shadow and then the beginnings of a face resurfacing from the inky abyss. Before I could drop the candle, I placed it on the platform by the top. I rubbed my eyes in the dim light, praying that I had only been sleep deprived. Shakily, I peered over the edge of the vase again, my nails digging into the rim of the platform. _Nothing._ I closed my eyes for a few more moments. _Nothing_.

_Plish._ I opened up my eyes again, meeting a pair of deep blue eyes. My heart leapt to my throat. I pulled back and looked down at Don, my blood rushing through my ears. 

“What kind of a joke is this?!” I snapped. 

I looked back into the vase, where _he_ remained, staring at me with those deep blue eyes. My voice rose to a fever pitch as he continued to stare at me, heat filling every single pore of my body like a raging fire. The same pale skin. The same pert nose. Those stupid, meticulously plucked brows. 

“You bastard!” I screamed. “We were all worried about you! I thought you died! You stupid, tasteless son of a bitch! And now you go and do this?! I thought you were fucked up but—”

_Plish._ Ryoga sank back into the waters, splashing me with the cold liquid. A hand rested on my shoulder. I turned around to see Don by my side with his own candle in his hands. His expression was solemn as he regarded me. 

“Please refrain from shouting at him. He dislikes loud noises,” said Don. 

I gritted my teeth and pulled away.

“Stop fucking around! I _know_ that’s Ryoga! This isn’t funny!” I snapped.

“This isn’t a joke. Your husband had ordered a merperson,” murmured Don as he peered into the black abyss. “In truth, I had found him washed ashore during my nightly strolls.” 

As if on cue, Ryoga peeked up at us again. Wariness filled his expression as he saw me. Gently, Don stuck out his hand and ran his fingers through Ryoga’s curls. Ryoga closed his eyes at the touch, as if it had been me stroking his hair. Jealousy filled my chest. 

“Adding insult to injury, you hired this creep to play along with this joke of yours?!” I uttered, my eyes filling with tears. “God, what am I to you?”

Don let out an exasperated sigh. He moved his candle closer to the water. Ryoga looked up at the flame, transfixed. 

“Look carefully,” he ordered me. 

I squinted, trying to peer past Ryoga’s smug face. His eyes seemed to mock me. I at once wanted to throttle him and hold him tight. And then, I saw it. _A gray dorsal fin. A long tail. Three slashes on each side of his neck that opened and closed._ Before I could say anything else, Ryoga had dove into the waters, his tail splashing me. 

“But...but that’s Ryoga,” I weakly uttered, my anger slowly giving way to relief. “Ryoga…! Come back!”

_No answer._ Another sigh from behind me followed. 

“Perhaps he may look like your husband, but he’s lost all of his memories,” said Don. “If you spend time with him and remind him of who he was when he was human, he could possibly remember again.” 

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Looking at Don and then back into the waters, I longed to see Ryoga’s beautiful face again. 

“How…?” I uttered. “How..?”

I saw him, swallowed into the ocean without resurfacing. It was as if the ocean had consumed him whole. No one, not even the best of Heartland’s coast guards, had been able to find him. We were miles and miles away from the shore. There was no way he could have swum back. _Unless_...

_Plash._ Slowly, Ryoga resurfaced, pale hand resting against the side of the vase. A pang filled my chest when I saw the two silver rings on his fingers.

“It really is you..,” I choked. 

My wedding ring was next to his own ring. There was no mistaking it. 

“Did you ever think that you may have married a merman?” asked Don. “Folklore says that merfolk live at the bottom of the ocean but occasionally walk among us to play.” 

I looked into my husband’s eyes that were devoid of recognition. My heart wrenched. I desperately wanted to reach out to him and pull him into an embrace that I would never release him from. I wanted his unmoving lips to form my name again, his deep voice erasing all of the previous week’s worries. Yet we only continued to stare at each other. 

“...he _was_ called the Prince of the Ocean,” I murmured after Ryoga disappeared again. 

Don chuckled softly, not a hint of mockery in his voice.

“Perhaps he was indeed the Prince of the Ocean, who came to the surface to amuse himself.”

A pause followed as I hesitantly reached out into the cold waters, my hands shaking. I felt Don’s gaze on my back, calming and reassuring in the darkness. _Please come back,_ I thought desperately. Memories filled my mind of our moments together. Side-by-side in the pool house, basking in the sweltering summer heat. In the living room, watching the sparse bits of snowflakes dot the garden. Singing together in the gardens during spring. Munching on apples from our trees in the fall, surrounded by shades of rich gold and red. All of it, all of it, was not enough. 

_Ker-plissssh…_ Ryoga resurfaced under my hand, his hair resting against my palm. Like a cat, he ran his head under my hand, dark strands of purple getting caught in my fingertips. He looked at me from underneath his eyelids, regarding me calmly. For a moment, I thought I saw a flash of coquetry in his face, as if he were his old self again. My hand ran down his surprisingly rough face, sending various prickles up my skin. A smile filled his lips before he dove back into the water. _Tease._

“Will you take him home?” asked Don. 

“Yes. Oh, god, yes,” I whispered fervently. 

“Very good. There’s a bit of paperwork we need to fill out before you can bring him home so would you mind coming down with me?” 

My heart twisted at the thought of having to leave Ryoga, even for just a few moments. Regardless, I nodded and turned away from the vase. I knew that after this, I could be by his side as long as I wished. As I descended the ladder with Don, future plans with Ryoga were already beginning to fill my mind.


	3. Pandora's Warning

#  Chapter 3: Pandora’s Warning

“Clause one: You must not show him to others,” stated Don as he pointed his pen towards the contract. 

I looked at the piece of paper, surprised that the transaction would be done on paper instead of digitally. The contract was neatly typed up, the ink dark against the slightly yellowed paper. Curlicues of red lined the borders, twisting back and forth like interconnected threads. On top of the contract was the logo of the pet store, featuring a series of crimson crystals. 

“Clause two: His tank must always have sea water in it. Nothing else,” continued Don, moving down to the second paragraph. 

Slowly, I nodded. The indoor pool could be easily converted into Ryoga’s new home. Thoughts of seeing him swimming in the pool, his tail catching the late summer sunlight, made my heart beat faster. Even if he could no longer remember me, at least we could still be together. And, perhaps it was better that he forgot.

My leg bounced in impatience as Don reached down to the final clause, beating out a series of staccato beats.  _ Tip tip tip tip. _

“And clause three—the most important—you must  _ never, ever _ leave him hungry. He feeds mainly on fresh fish and other medium or large-sized sea life,” explained Don, tapping on the third clause for emphasis. 

Once again, I nodded. Easy enough. I read through the entire contract, making sure I didn’t sign up for anything hidden. After reading through it twice, Don nodded in satisfaction and handed me the pen. I quickly signed my name, almost writing  _ Duel Champion IV  _ instead of  _ Thomas Arclight  _ in my excitement. The pet shop owner took my pen afterwards and looked at my signature in approval. Perhaps he would take the signature and sell it off sometime. That had a tendency to happen. 

The pet shop owner looked up at me with his mismatched eyes, one blue and one red. His red lips parted to reveal a smile lined with straight and sharp white teeth.

“May the both of you have eternal happiness,” he said. 

  
_ I was certain that we would.  _


	4. Voices in the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My, what a romantic chapter for Valentine's Day.

# Chapter 4: Voices in the Night

“There we are,” I said softly as I eased Ryoga into the pool. “Welcome back.” 

As much as I had wanted to take Ryoga home right then and there, I knew that I was ill-prepared. He deserved the best. I couldn’t have transported the entire vase that he came in with me nor could I bear to leave him in his small traveling tank for long. Thus, I left him at the pet shop for a few days in order to prepare his new living quarters. Every day without him was hell, the longing eating up my stomach in sharp, desperate pangs. The day before I brought him home, his face had filled my every waking hour. 

Even as I drove him here, my heart was filled with pain, seeing him in his cramped traveling quarters. Whenever I looked back at him, his eyes were filled with hurt and a slight frown tugged at his lips. 

_“Of course I’m not going to leave you in there like that! When we get back home, you’ll be amazed at what I did with our pool! It’s the perfect place for you!”_ I had fervently promised my husband. 

I don’t know if he understood me, but I had continued to talk all the way home, hoping that he would recover at least a bit of his memories from before. Or, at least he would cheer up. It hurt to see his face twisted in pain like that. He looked so...vulnerable. Throughout the ride home, he had rotated between peeking his head out of the tank, arm resting on the sides to quietly lying down on the glass bottom, staring up at the ceiling, gills opening back and forth. After I took him out of the car, I promised him that he would never experience such discomfort again. 

I intended to make certain of that promise. 

Before the accident, we had decorated his room together. The walls were painted a dark shade of cornflower blue and were filled with his band posters. He had a window to let in the sunlight along with a sunroof in his bathroom. I had pulled his black curtains shut after the wedding, unable to bear the thought of sunlight fading out his possessions. I couldn’t bring myself to part with the clothes he had already put into his closet either. The mixture of jackets, band tees, jeans and the occasional leather jacket were still sitting there, most likely collecting dust. 

When I redecorated the pool room, I had gone into Ryoga’s room for the first time in days. It still smelled of fresh paint. He still hadn’t properly spent a night in this bedroom. Not even a hint of his cologne wafted about. I supposed that it was a blessing in its own way. There weren’t as many memories here. Carefully, I removed a few of his posters and his clock. Photographs. Jewelry. His favorite retro stereo and accompanying CDs. I brought them down into the pool room and distributed his possessions everywhere. 

_Plish._ Ryoga swam around his new quarters slowly, drinking in the sights. I had placed his favorite leather recliner by the poolside, next to his stereo. His posters and photographs were now framed and placed on the walls. The large window at the back and front of the pool room were framed with dark curtains, similar to the ones in his room. Next to the poolside, I had put a cabinet containing all of his accessories so that he could easily access his jewelry without having to crawl out. It was bolted to the floor in order to prevent any accidents. 

Under the sun, I watched as his tail caught the sunlight. A smile filled my face. Throughout the year, sunlight changed in accordance with the seasons. Winter sunlight was soft and gentle, filling the world with what was necessary but not to excess. It made things look old, as if on the verge of fading. Spring sunlight was verdant and vivid, adding more color to the world. It served as the bridge between the bright colors of summer and the muted colors of winter. Summer sunlight was yellow and bright, giving everything under it a halo. It made memories shine with joy. And autumn sunlight...there was nothing like it. My favorite season had sunlight that was golden and rich. It dyed the world in the hues of nostalgia, warm and glowing. 

I couldn’t wait to see Ryoga under the golden sunlight, especially surrounded by the hues of the garden. Red, orange and yellow would go well with his tail and complexion. His pictures under the autumn skies would be stunning. I also couldn’t wait to see him under the hues of spring, amidst the rejuvenating greenery of the garden. He had always looked so vivid against the greens of spring with his blue eyes, pale skin and violet locks. They were the colors of flowers. Perhaps that was why he loved spring the most. It was when he was most beautiful. 

_Who could blame him?_

Ryoga poked his head out of the water and rested his hand on the marbled border. He looked past me and out the window, now filled with late summer fruits. I followed his gaze and saw our fig tree with dark fruits splattered on the ground in mushy red piles. Underneath the tree in the humid summer heat, we had feasted on those sweet, soft fruits. It was always a running joke between us that the figs looked like a woman’s milky breasts, the white sap trickling out of the plucked tip in slow, sticky rivulets. Since the wedding, I couldn’t bear to look at them until now. 

I looked back at Ryoga to find that he was already on the other side of the pool, looking up at the cabinet curiously. _If only he could speak to me again. I’ve come to miss his jibes and relentless teasing._ Walking over, I slowly opened the lowest cabinet to show him the array of accessories. The sparkling gems caught his attention and he curiously reached out for a necklace. 

“I’ll help you put that on if you’d like,” I offered, coming closer. 

At the sound of my voice, Ryoga disappeared into the waters and swam away. I tried not to take it too personally. After all, he had fallen three stories into frigid waters. _Bzzt._

Oh.

I clicked off my phone.

“Time for lunch,” I announced as I walked over to the fridge. 

I took three fish out of the fridge and turned around. _Plish._ Ryoga resurfaced, his eyes wide in anticipation as he saw the fish. For the first time since our wedding, a smile filled his face. My heart soared and I quickened my pace. He swam towards me and excitedly resurfaced, eyes sparkling with delight. I kneeled down and offered the fish to him. Deftly, he grabbed onto one of the fish and yanked it out of my hands, the scales brushing against my skin. He voraciously sank his teeth into the spine of the fish, sharp teeth ripping into the scales. I chuckled as he noisily ate. 

“Still no charm and an overabundance of rudeness, huh?” I teased. 

He ignored me and continued to eat. I put the two remaining fish by the side of the pool and cleaned my hands off with a nearby sanitizer. 

“Let’s listen to some of your music,” I said as I walked over to his stereo. 

I turned it on and selected one of his burned CDs. It was a lost art, according to him. Apparently, no one knew how to burn CDs anymore. I had never understood why he preferred CDs over our streaming technologies, but I always indulged him during holidays and birthdays. They were difficult to find, often sequestered in antique stores or sold in bundles of outdated technology. Pressing the _play_ button, I then walked back to the jewelry cabinet to close it. The sounds of a soothing bassline started up as I looked into the cabinet. A silver ring caught my attention and I stiffened, quickly closing the compartment. 

I walked back to the stereo to adjust the volume, prickles crawling up my spine. I watched Ryoga as he ate, the two silver rings on his fingers catching the light. The ring back in the cabinet had been Rio’s wedding gift to him. She had never gotten the chance to give it to him and it had arrived in the mail a few days after the accident. It had come in a plain box, nestled in white satin. “ _To: Ryoga, From: Rio,”_ was written on the inside of the lid in permanent marker. There had been no return address. 

Unbidden, the contract resurfaced in my mind. _Clause one: You must not show him to others._ Even if it was his own sister? I should have asked for further clarification. But why shouldn’t Rio be allowed to know? If there was anyone that had grieved more than me, it was most definitely her. My hand crept to my pocket and towards my phone, yet it stilled just before I wrapped my fingers about it. 

_The order had been loud and clear. She never wanted to see me again after the wedding._ My brows furrowed in contemplation. _Surely, she would have wanted to know that Ryoga was alive though?_ Besides, it was the right thing to do. _Then why couldn’t I do it?_

I saw her grief-filled expression under the moonlight as the sirens of the police and naval guard arrived. Her eyes had burned like fire that night, filled with our long and twisted history. First the fire. Then the awkward reconciliation. Stolen glances. Brief brushes of fingers. More intentional touching. Lighting-fast kisses before a duel. Her warm skin on mine, the cold metal of the hallways freezing me to the bone. The betrayal that filled her eyes when I proposed to her twin brother instead of her. 

_“It’s a publicity stunt,_ ” I had said in a hushed voice. _“Good for the press and for our careers.”_

The pale moonlight gave her magenta eyes an otherworldly glow. It dyed her hair silver and her skin was milk white. The white dress she wore fluttered in the wind, the diaphanous fabric teasing me. _She was an otherworldly creature of the light._ I regarded her cold gaze there, forcing myself to move towards her despite the ice in my veins. Hesitantly, I reached out to her, afraid that she would shatter in my embrace. My shoulders heaved in relief when she didn’t disappear as I held her tight, the ocean breeze and the rocking of the ship melding with our heartbeats. 

_“I will always love you,”_ I promised. 

_Thunk._ Both of us jumped at the sound. Quickly, I turned to see Ryoga, silhouetted against the bright interior of the ship. With the golden light behind him, his hair appeared black and his face was marred by long shadows. His navy blue suit had become a dark shroud and I could not see his eyes. Even the white flowers in his lapel looked gray in that moment. _The shadow to Rio’s light._

_“What are you doing with her?!”_ he shouted as he rushed towards me. 

In the moonlight, his sapphire eyes shone with fury and hurt. Before I could answer, he grabbed my collar and shoved me against the deck railing. 

_“Ryoga!”_ gasped Rio. 

_“Stay out of this!”_ he snapped, his eyes drilling holes into me. _“How long have you been doing this with her?!”_

His cheeks were flushed with red and his breath smelled of champagne as he pushed me once again. 

_“Did you just use me to get closer to my sister?!”_

His voice had broken at the last word, yet his face remained engulfed in rage. Roughly, he pushed me harder against the railing, my back teetering over the edge. The ocean beneath us was an inky black abyss. 

_“C-calm down…! Your s-sister was merely worried about you—about us!”_ I cried weakly. 

Ryoga’s eyes narrowed, catching my lie instantaneously. But it was true. Almost everyone at the wedding knew that we fought regularly. Spats peppered our relationship, which was always followed by angry and passionate sex. Those were always the best, with his teeth sinking into my skin and my nails marking up his body. Just not this time. 

_“You_ fucker _!”_ he screamed. _“I trusted you! I knew something was off when Rio started coming to our matches more often! It was because of you!”_

Being a high-profile prosecutor had left Rio with little free time. It must have hurt when Ryoga realized that she had made time out of her busy schedule not for him but for me. I looked at his face and noted that his lips were trembling. Despite the alcohol he had consumed, his eyes were filled with lucidity. 

_“Listen…!”_ I gasped as I teetered over the edge of the railing. _“It was casual! We—”_

In an instant, Ryoga positioned me over the edge, the deck railing digging into my lower back. I saw the bright expanse of the stars before me, my blood rushing through my ears. Rio’s cry weakened his grip and I felt my instincts kick in. Quickly, I freed myself from Ryoga’s grip and pushed him away. I circled him and he rushed towards me. We struggled for a few moments as we exchanged blows, making our way down the empty deck. I narrowly avoided a kick and slammed Ryoga against the railing. Distantly, I heard Rio crying for help. 

Still, Ryoga kept trying to punch and kick at me, even as a bruise was forming on his cheek. He swung towards my face and I roughly pushed him away, my muscles rippling with fury. _Too late,_ I realized as I saw his body flip over the railing. It seemed to happen in slow motion. 

The shine of his shoes against the moonlight. The way his curls flew in all directions of the wind. How his furious expression melted into shock and then fear. How his mouth opened up into a scream. His corsage, fluttering loose and scattering in the wind. 

“Ryoga…!” I yelled, sticking out my hand. 

It felt as if I was trapped in gelatin, my limbs refusing to move fast enough. All that lifting. All that training. And it couldn’t even save him. It only killed him. Our fingers briefly touched, briefly interlocking before pulling away. The coldness of his skin shocked me, as if he was already beneath the waves. Rio’s scream melded with her brother’s and mine. The once-peaceful starlit night seemed to be full of nothing but screams in that moment, piercing and endless. And then a small and distant _ker-plash_ as Ryoga’s body sank beneath the waves. 

I jolted awake with a gasp. 

“ _It was an accident,”_ my manager said. “ _Plain and simple as that.”_

  
His voice echoed in my mind as I watched Ryoga swim, the fish long eaten. _It wasn’t my fault._ As Ryoga passed by me, he didn’t grace me with a single glance. I felt a twinge of relief as he passed me by indifferently. Perhaps this was a gift from heaven. A blank slate with Ryoga who, _I knew now,_ was the love of my life.


	5. House Calls

#  Chapter 5: House Calls

“He’s getting along well, I see,” noted Don as he slid a chocolate into his mouth. “I’m glad you’re enjoying him.” 

I looked at the pet shop owner and gave him a small smile. “Enjoy _ ” was a word that sorely understated my emotions.  _

“I won’t ever let him go again,” I murmured. 

“That’s good to hear. Merfolk are very possessive creatures. He won’t let you go either,” replied Don cheerfully. 

Our gazes turned to Ryoga, who was basking under the sunlight. Perched on the steps of the pool, his tail dully shone under the sunlight. Day by day, the sunlight was becoming more golden. Autumn was on its way. With disinterest, he regarded us with sleepy eyes. Fresh from his lunch, he was sluggish and sleepy, much like when he had legs. Remembering him splayed on the living room couch made my smile larger. At times he would softly snore, mouth slightly open. Sometimes, I stuck my finger in there. Only once did he catch me. 

I sipped my tea and let out a sigh as Ryoga slowly blinked. He continued to look at me with those unfamiliar eyes. There was nothing akin to love in those sapphire depths. Don turned to me, his red eyes filled with concern. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked. 

Looking into my teacup, I regarded my reflection.  _ Could 12 years of history vanish that quickly? There was just a tiny “ _ splash!”  _ and then they were gone forever.  _

“There’s a part of me that wishes he remembered who I was...and a part of me that doesn’t,” I confessed. 

The pet shop owner raised a finely sculpted brow. His red lips sipped at the tea I offered him, yet left behind no lipstick stains. He regarded Ryoga with an unreadable expression on his face. He now laid in the water, curls spreading out like a purple cloud. Languorously, he stretched and let out a silent yawn, bubbles coming from his mouth. Boredly, he looked up at the sunroof and blew a few more bubbles towards the surface. The old Ryoga would have never let me see him look this cute.

“Sometimes, it’s better to start anew, don’t you think? He’s been through excruciating pain as a human. Orphan...disgraced duelist...delinquent…”

_ Barian Emperor,  _ I added silently. The word  _ Barian  _ made my head throb with pain. It felt as if something was missing, yet running through my memories, I couldn’t seem to remember. Since it had been more than ten years ago that the incident occurred, I supposed it wasn’t particularly important and shrugged it off. The coldness of the pavement. “Nasch’s” cold eyes looking down at me. How I promised that I would see him in hell. Those were the important things during that time and they were still in my mind. Anything else could have been forgotten for all I cared. 

I looked up at Don, whose lips were quirking up into a smile. A twinge of unease filled my chest but I didn’t know why. He drained the last of his tea and licked his lips. Gently, he dusted off his clothes and stood up, his heeled shoes clicking against the floor with a  _ ker-tap.  _

__ “I suppose my business is done here. Ryoga has settled in nicely and—”

“Wait!” I called, remembering something. 

Don took a seat again and took another piece of chocolate from the box. 

“Yes?” he asked before he bit off a piece. 

“Should I alert his sister that he’s back? I know that I shouldn’t show him to anyone else per the contract but...it’s his sister we’re talking about…”

A smile filled Don’s face and he shrugged, chewing on the chocolate. He peered at me through his red bangs, mismatched eyes catching the August sunlight. His long nails tapped on the surface of the table in slow and steady beats.  _ Tip. Tap. Tip.  _

“I can’t guarantee that she’ll react the way you expect her to,” he said. “But I can’t stop you.” 

My shoulders slumped in relief. The nagging voice—my guilty conscience—finally silenced.  _ Just a quick call. Maybe she wouldn’t pick up anyways.  _

__ “Any more questions?” Don asked.

I shook my head. Nodding, Don stood up and headed towards the door. His footsteps seemed slow and deliberate, as if he were walking up to a stage anticipating his presence. As he reached for the door handle, he paused. 

“I forgot to ask you, did you hear that a piece of your husband was found last night? A portion of his left leg. According to the radio station, it looked like it was partially eaten by a shark.”

My eyes went wide. I hadn’t heard of any such news. For the past few days, I had only been tending to Ryoga. No thought of mine went to the ongoing investigation behind his death. As far as I was concerned, the wedding and his accident was merely a bad dream. He was already home with me. Looking at his tail, I pursed my lips. He didn’t need his legs anymore, now that he was half fish. 

“Oh my. You didn’t know. Regardless, I send you my condolences,” called Don as he opened the door. “If you need anything, please just call. And, thank you for the treats. I loved them.” 

  
_ Clack.  _ Left in the silence of the pool room, I turned my attention back to Ryoga. He lazily swam about, his tail cleaving the water like a knife. Abruptly, I jumped out of my seat and rushed towards him. The sudden movement frightened him and he swam away, drenching me with frigid sea water. 


	6. Old Scars

#  Chapter 6: Old Scars

“Rio,” I said as she stood at the door. “Come in.” 

Her hair was cut short, framing a face that had grown thinner since I had last seen her. The navy blazer and white undershirt that she wore seemed ill-suited for this sweltering summer day. Matching her blazer, the skirt she wore hugged her thighs and I could see their outlines up close. Her legs were covered in thick black stockings and I could only imagine how uncomfortable they were. I noted that the Rolex watch I had given her had been replaced with a sensible metal watch. Looking down at her feet, the penny loafers signified that she was fresh from work. She only wore high heels for parties. Nothing else. As a prosecutor, the focus was meant to be on her voice, not her heels. 

As usual, her face had a touch of makeup, but it had not been touched up before coming here. She had always touched up her makeup before she saw me. Seeing her face, filled with weariness after hours and hours of debating made my chest twinge. A small part of me wanted to hold her and apologize again. For the fire, for the wedding, for Ryoga...for...everything. Just to hold her, just to touch her again, breathe in her light perfume and feel her soft lips against mine. A small part of me desired the warmth of her tired body, pressing up against my scarred chest with our sweat intermingling against the freshly painted walls. 

“This isn’t for you,” she said softly as she walked past me. “It’s for my brother.”

I swallowed my roiling emotions and nodded. I wondered what she did with the watch I gave her. Closing the door behind us, I followed her to the backyard. She stood there, looking out at the fruit trees and the slowly dying flowers. I followed her gaze towards the gazebo. We had kissed under the moon there. On the lawn, we had stargazed on a cold wintry night. Near the fruit groves, we had made love like wild animals. The garden was drenched in our memories, both cold and hot. 

“This way,” I said, tearing my gaze away from the gazebo and towards the pool house. 

I didn’t know why I said that. She had known where the pool house was. Perhaps I had just wanted to break the silence. Regardless, she silently turned towards the paved path. Our footsteps fell noiselessly on the paved path where we had once hurriedly jogged on bare feet. Not a single hint of birdsong filled the air, nor even a cicada. The air was dry, distant trees rippling like a mirage. It almost hurt to breathe. 

My sunflowers were starting to sag in the summer heat, their seeds fit to burst. The sunlight was beginning to transition from the vibrant yellows of summer to the rich gold hues of autumn. Had Ryoga still been around, we would have most likely been sharing a bath together with a platter of watermelons by our side. He would always loudly crunch on the watermelon seeds and when I asked him why, he would merely shrug. It was probably because a part of him still feared the myth of growing watermelons in his stomach. The things we tell children tend to stay with them for the rest of their lives. 

Sweat began to bead my brow and I wondered how Rio was holding up, dressed in her dark courtroom ensemble. Her outfit was more suited to fall, with their dark colors. I was more used to seeing her in flirtatious sundresses and short sleeves during the summer. There was a dark blue and white polka dotted shirt that she frequently wore whenever she came over, knowing that I had loved how it hugged her curves and how it easily came off. 

I could always tell that she was coming with the sound of her flip-flops on the path. With her sturdy penny loafers, I heard nothing.Walking ahead of her, I opened the door to the pool house. She walked past me hesitantly, the smell of her perfume wafting off with a hint of sweat. It was the same flowery brand that she had been using for all of these years. My chest twinged as the stirred up memories began to rise up again. Yet, when the salty smell of the pool room melded with the sweltering heat from outside, I knew that I was now solely dedicated to Ryoga. 

Rio scanned the pool room and then peered into the pool. 

“What—”

Ryoga swam up to me, peeking his head out of the waters. I smiled as he saw me and reached down to toy with his curls. Shyly, he leaned into my touch. I looked up at Rio and gave her a smile. 

“The pet shop owner said that he lost all of his memories when he returned to being a merman, but I’m positive that with enough time, he’ll remember us,” I reassured her. 

“That’s…”

Rio bit her lip, eyes filling with tears. 

“Why are you crying?” I asked softly as I kissed Ryoga’s forehead. “They’re not even happy tears, for goodness’ sake. He’s still your brother, even if he looks like this. Say hi.” 

Rio regarded me with a hurt expression, reminiscent of her brother’s when he discovered us. As if to reassure me, Ryoga leaned his head on my shoulder and looked at his sister with lowered eyelids. 

“Are you jealous?” I asked as I turned to Ryoga lovingly. 

I toyed with his curls once more, relishing in their wet softness. As if a spell had been cast over me, all of my previous apprehensions washed away. Yes, Ryoga was the only one. I stroked his face, the rough skin catching my fingertips. 

“After the stunt he pulled, I’m entirely certain that he’s the one I love now. I’m sorry, Rio,” I murmured. 

I saw Rio for what she really was then. With her sweaty hair plastered to her forehead and dark circles under her eyes, she was no longer the person I had cheated on Ryoga with. Over the past few weeks, she had grown so thin. No longer did she look young. I brushed Ryoga’s hair away from his face, looking into his deep blue eyes. 

Farewell to the moments in the plush waiting rooms. Goodbye to those stolen moments under the stars. A final sendoff to those lighting-quick kisses that lingered on my lips for hours afterwards. Rio’s vibrant smile was already fading from my memories, replaced with her current expression. I felt myself letting go of her with a sigh. Ryoga’s lips seemed to twitch in amusement and he glanced at Rio from the sides of his eyes. Soon, those memories would be buried beneath a layer of ocean water and fish scales. 

Running footsteps and a slamming door answered me. Left in silence once more, I shrugged. Don was right. It wasn’t the reaction I had expected, but at least I had delivered the message. Shyly, Ryoga’s hand went to my chest. It stayed there for a few moments, resting on top of my heart. I looked into his deep blue eyes and saw the beginnings of trust in them. My heart skipped a beat. 

  
_ Had it been my imagination, or did a spark of joy fill his face as the door slammed? _


	7. Blue Sea,

#  Chapter 7: Blue Sea,

_ Yes, this is my siren song _

_ Reserved only for you _

_ Like a spider I weave my notes around you _

_ You’re caught in my net and I reel you in just like a—fisherman _

_ Siren song,  _

_ Don’t get too close or you’ll be lost at sea _

_ Siren song _

__ The familiar voice made me open my eyes. In the background, a familiar bass line played and I turned towards the singer. Perched on the steps of the pool was Ryoga, singing along. He looked radiant, his curls glistening under the golden sunlight and his tail languidly flapping in the water. The gills on the sides of his neck opened to and fro as he sang and his hands with their sharp nails tattooed out a matching beat. His eyes were distant as he sang, as if he were reliving another lifetime. My legs shook with shock. Weakly, I grabbed the edge of my chair for support and slowly made my way towards him. 

“It’s you..!” I gasped. “It’s really you!” 

Ryoga immediately stopped singing. He turned and gave me a sardonic grin.  _ Plish.  _ He flicked some water at me with the tip of his tail. 

“Yes, you idiot. Who else could it be?” he teased. 

_ It was as if nothing had ever changed.  _ Not caring about soaking my clothes, I ran into the pool and held him close. In turn, he wrapped his arms around me. He smelled of the ocean, fresh and salty. I didn’t mind at all that he slightly stank of fish.  _ He was home, he was home!  _ My eyes filled with tears and I couldn’t keep the shaking out of my voice. I traced my fingers across his flushed cheeks and gazed deep into his loving eyes. 

“You scared all of us,” I whispered. 

“I know,” chuckled Ryoga. “I couldn’t help it though.” 

He pulled me down with him, my neck finally resting on his shoulder. The water was cool as it soaked through my shorts and shirt. I felt the small of his back, so bony since I had last held him. Had I been feeding him enough? I had followed the pet shop’s instructions to the word. But...he was no longer a pet, was he? He wasn’t ever a pet, but now with his memories back, I could truly call him my husband again. I never wanted to let him go, but he eventually pushed me away. He gave me another smirk and flicked more water in my face. 

“I was so pissed at you,” he said. “You should have just told me about you and my sister.” 

I held his gaze for a few moments before I replied. With a gentle light in his eyes, he looked more beautiful than before. He seemed almost radiant, with the summer sun against his back. The want in my chest bloomed. 

“I know and I’m sorry,” I sighed. “But it’s all over now. I’m now fully dedicated to you.” 

A pause followed as Ryoga gazed out at the pool room. His eyes grew distant again. He must have been remembering the figs we used to feast on every summer. I felt awful that I had just left them to rot instead of finding people to accept them. 

“I wish Rio told me,” he murmured. 

“Too late for that now,” I said. “You scared her away.” 

Ryoga chuckled and then swam around me, his tail trailing the waters elegantly. He playfully tapped me on the nose, his rough fingertip catching my skin. The smile continued to play on his features. 

“Greedy bastard. You had to fuck both twins to satisfy yourself, huh?” 

I returned Ryoga’s smirk and pulled him closer to me. Gently, I brushed my lips against his collarbone and relished in his shivers. With deliberate slowness, I ran my lips down his white throat. 

“I chose you in the end though. And I’m staying with you. Forever,” I promised as I drew him into a kiss. 

His lips were softer than I remembered. He ran his hands through my hair as we kissed. In turn, I held his torso closer to me. I wanted to be with him, lips locked together, for the rest of our lives. He overwhelmed me with his salty tang, drowning my senses with the ocean. I felt his mouth open invitingly and I slid my tongue into his mouth. How I missed these moments. How I missed him. 

And now we were together again, buried in each other’s love. 

“I know,” whispered Ryoga, nipping the bottom of my lip. “I made sure of that.”

“By making yourself completely dependent on me?” I teased. 

His tail brushed against my bare leg, the rough skin digging into my own flesh. He flashed his sharp teeth and traced my jaw. 

“You have the roles mixed up. You need  _ me _ now,” he drawled. 

“Oh yeah? Are you the one who feeds me and keeps my tank clean?” I countered. 

Just like that, Ryoga leaned his head on my shoulder and looked up at me with hunger in his widened eyes, much like before he regained his memories. He would have never done such a thing before this. 

“We need each other’s love to stay alive,” he said, his lips pink and wet. 

“Stop making that face,” I chuckled. “It looks weird on you, now that you remember me.” 

Ryoga pursed his lips and his eyes looked into mine. They were so beautifully blue, just like the ocean on a sunny day. I saw him then, wreathed in sunlight and playing his bass on the shore, a barbecue behind us. My heart ached. Surely, we could still find a way to travel together, even like this. 

“Did you like it when I didn’t?” he asked softly. 

I cupped Ryoga’s face in my hands, his skin as cold as the waters we were in. 

“No,” I breathed. “It hurt just to look at you.”

Ryoga pressed himself against my chest and kissed me again. Even the insides of his mouth were cold, filled with the slight tang of blood and salt. His hands went to unbutton my shirt, just like he used to. I tried to ignore the coldness in his fingers and hoped that if I held them long enough, they would be warm once again. When he pulled away, my shirt had been fully unbuttoned and I smirked at him. 

“Haven’t lost that dexterity at all, huh?” I noted. 

Ryoga proudly crossed his arms. 

“Nope.” 

“Think you can do something about those cold hands of yours?” I asked as I slid my shirt off and rested it by the poolside. 

My husband laughed and he flicked more water in my face. 

“I’m a shark! Sharks are cold-blooded, stupid!” he said. “I can’t help with being cold.” 

I blushed and turned away from Ryoga. Of course. 

“What’s next? Are you going to ask if I have two penises?” he called as he swam over to the jewelry cabinet. 

“Wh-what?!” 

Ryoga waved his hand dismissively and pulled out the first drawer. 

“Nevermind. You kept my sister’s ring?” 

Awkwardly, I waded closer to him. 

“Er, yeah. It didn’t feel right, just throwing it out.” 

He slowly nodded and contemplated the silver ring. The fondness that filled his face as he turned the ring around made my chest twinge. There was a hint of regret in his expression, with the way his lips were turned. 

“How did your memories even come back? I didn’t even know you could speak,” I said as I watched him replace the ring with a leather bracelet. 

A roll of his slim shoulders answered me. They pointed towards the stereo system that was still playing an old recording of his. 

“Most likely that. My memories slowly came back and I trained myself to speak again. I didn’t want to show you too soon or else you’d just laugh at me garbling up my sentences with fish noises.” 

I snorted. Imagining Ryoga making a wide-mouthed fish face was just too amusing and so unlike him. 

“Fish make noises?” 

He nodded. 

“Some grunting and humming. Clicks.” 

He put the drawer back and then swam towards me. Resting his cool hands on my chest, he looked up at me. My heart soared as I looked into his face, now filled with trust and familiarity. 

“I wouldn’t mind. You’d still be my beautiful siren,” I whispered. 

He softly smiled.

“For once, you’re behaving decently towards me. It just took a long fall and some amnesia,” he chuckled.

He kissed my chest and his hands crawled down to my shorts. I felt the rings on his hands brushing against my skin. I buried my face in his hair, breathing in his familiar scent. My heart beat out an accelerating rhythm as I felt the shorts slide down. His fingers toyed with my nipple. I took in a sharp breath. I haven’t had anyone touch me like this in weeks. Desperately, I leaned into his touch. 

His lips wrapped around a nipple and began to suck. 

“God,” I moaned. “It’s been too long.” 

I felt the edges of his sharp teeth graze my flesh. The slight pain only made the warm sensations sharper. I ran my hands down his skin. Even if it was cold, it was still his skin. My breath hitched when he grabbed my hardened flesh. Lazily, he teased it with slow strokes. Like his teeth, his nails grazed my skin with tingling sparks of pain. Ryoga licked his lips. 

“You bastard,” I muttered. “I haven’t shagged anyone since you leapt off the ship. At least give me some actual effort.” 

A soft chuckle answered me and Ryoga pulled away, leaving me frustratingly aroused. He swam a few ways off, beckoning me deeper into the pool. 

“Not even a  _ wank,  _ as you would say?”

“I was too bloody depressed to  _ wank _ !” I snapped as I tossed my sodden shorts to the side. 

Whenever I was flustered, my old vulgarities would float back up from the depths of my mind. It had always fascinated and amused Ryoga, who had grown to adapt my anger-fueled vocabulary to his own during tense moments. Regardless, it felt so good to hear him teasing me again. It truly was him.

“Maybe I should throw myself off of ships more often,” teased Ryoga as he evaded my grasp. “It makes you more desperate and clumsy.” 

“You don’t have legs to jump anymore!” I hissed as I narrowly missed his arm. 

“Fine. I guess I’ll pretend to drown.” 

I swung my arm over the surface of the pool, dousing Ryoga in a wall of water. 

“You’re half-shark, stupid! You can’t drown!” 

A laugh bubbled up from Ryoga’s throat. His cheeks were flushed with color and his eyes were closed. The stained glass window from behind him casted splotches of magenta, turquoise and cerulean on his skin, giving him the illusion of rainbow scales. It was so rare to see him laughing like this, uninhibited and radiant. I wanted to take a picture then and there and forever frame the moment in my heart. It didn’t matter that he had a shark tail now. He was still my husband. 

Opening his eyes, he dove towards me and pushed me into the water. For a few moments, we sunk into the cool waters of the pool, just two hearts beating in unison. I felt his lips brush over my heated skin. His tongue teased the tip of my length, a slight rasp on the touch-starved surface. Underwater, I let out a moan and opened my eyes. When I looked into Ryoga’s eyes, I saw the pale white disks of the moon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actually, sharks lack the required organs to make noises, minus for one breed of shark off the coast of New Zealand (The draughtsboard shark). Apparently, it "barks."


	8. It's a Heaven

#  Chapter 8: It’s a Heaven

Groaning, I opened my eyes. My dick throbbed with longing. Disappointment welled up in my chest as I realized that it had been nothing but a dream. I had been so close...my hand balled into a fist. The setting sun filled the pool room with an almost reddish glow. Ryoga’s bass nearly slid from my lap before I grabbed it. In the background, one of Ryoga’s recordings softly played. Just like that, we were back to reality.  _ Back to silence.  _

I turned to switch it off, but Ryoga, mute, aloof, shark tailed Ryoga, caught my attention. Just like in the dream, he was perched on the steps of the pool. Although he didn’t speak, I saw his fingers move in time with the bass.  _ What? _ Ryoga had always looked so lovely whenever he was playing on the guitar. The tension seemed to melt from his face as he concentrated on the music. He had the same expression on now, his eyes staring off into the distance. I set his bass on the chair and stood up with my legs shaking. 

_ It was too good to be true. I knew it.  _

“Ryoga?” I called softly. 

He turned to me, a smile playing on his lips. His fingers continued to move, as if he were weaving a net. 

_ Siren song, oh, siren song.  _

I turned to his bass, left forlorn on the chair. Following my gaze, he nodded and tapped his forehead. Then, he continued playing the invisible strings of his guitar. 

“Oh my god, you remember!” I whispered. 

_ It felt too good to be true, but... _ perhaps the dream had been a message.

Ryoga’s sapphire eyes glimmered with mirth as I approached him. The water lapped at my sandaled feet. I slid them off and threw them aside. I felt my hard-on return and threw off my trousers. They landed with a heavy  _ flump.  _ Quickly, my shirt joined the pile. Only my boxers remained and we could both see the tent in the  _ IV fanservice  _ patterned fabric. What? I had to represent my brand both privately and publicly. That’s how brands get properly established. 

A pang filled my chest as I remembered Ryoga’s rolled eyes the first night we slept together. He had seemed so unimpressed and in truth, it stung. They had been my best pair, with the purple crests and magenta IVs. After I defended my commitment to my brand, Ryoga merely threw a condom packet in my hands and rolled into bed. I never asked if I had been his first, but from the way he behaved, I doubted it. It was something I was always jealous about but could never bring myself to ask who that person was. 

Just one of the many things I never got to tell Ryoga before he fell. I refused to say  _ die _ though. Ryoga was right here after all. And he didn’t seem disappointed to see those boxers again. Instead, he seemed eager. 

“You don’t know how much I’ve missed you,” I breathed as I held Ryoga in my arms. 

His smile widened and he ran his fingers through my hair. Everything, from his beautifully thin brows (I guess he never plucked them after all) to his pert nose and pink lips...everything was just perfect. Just like a dream. I still couldn’t fully believe it, even as I pulled him close. 

“I’ll never let you go again,” I promised, my leg scraping up against his surprisingly rough tail. 

Even if this was a dream inside of a dream, I’d hang onto it with all of my strength.  _ Ryoga, oh, Ryoga... _

He rested his head on my shoulder, his hand crawling up my bare back. It felt so cold.  _ I’m a shark, you idiot.  _ His voice brought a small smile to my lips. The smell of the ocean filled my senses and I drank it all in. I placed my forehead on his bony shoulder and closed my eyes. All I could see was the moon and Ryoga’s screams. I gritted my teeth.  _ He was right here. Why think about the past now, just when you thought you got over it?  _

I forced myself to open my eyes. I was still in Ryoga’s embrace. This wasn’t a dream. This was reality, raw and beautiful in the light of the setting sun.

“You forgive me, right?” I whispered in his ear. 

He pulled away from me and placed his hand on my face. His brows were gently furrowed and his eyes were calm. A nod, almost imperceptible, came from him. I let out a sigh and pulled him close again. I wasn’t used to such kindnesses, even if they were from the person I loved. 

“I’m so sorry, Ryoga,” I murmured. 

Briefly, I heard a  _ bzzt _ from my phone. I ignored it. It must have been from either my manager or my family. The calls had been incessant ever since Rio had run out. I don’t even know why I kept my phone service around. Ryoga perked up from the sound and I gently shushed him. 

“It’s probably Chris,” I murmured softly, brushing his hair away from his face. 

Quickly, he turned back to me and gave me another of his smiles. I saw the tips of his gleaming white teeth in that smile and I chuckled. Before, he had always considered getting shark teeth. I thought it was stupid but now...I wasn’t so sure. We were slowly easing ourselves into the middle of the pool and all I could see was how beautiful Ryoga looked, with his glistening tail and gills. The rings on his fingers brushed up against my skin, colder than his skin. 

“I didn’t know if you would actually remember again,” I confessed. 

Ryoga tilted his head and slightly parted his mouth, as if he were laughing.  _ I always regain my memories, you idiot,  _ his eyes seemed to say. He was always so confident in his abilities of having a comeback. Even during seasons where he wasn’t as popular, he remained certain that the following seasons would return him to his former glory. I supposed that this was his greatest comeback. 

We languidly made our way to the deep end of the pool, where the stained glass windows shone their vivid colors onto the water. In his arms, I felt as if we were once again in the waiting rooms, his body pressed up against mine. He must have also been glad to have regained his memories, especially those small stolen moments before a duel. My leg trailed against his tail again and I felt a dull pang. A small cloud of red bloomed from my leg and I felt a voice in the back of my head telling me to climb out of the pool. It was quickly forgotten as I saw how the sunlight shone against Ryoga’s skin and illuminated his face. 

Perhaps beauty in dreams is different from beauty in reality. The stained glass colors did not give Ryoga radiant scales of light. Instead, they seemed like dull colored splotches of color. There was not a halo of light around his hair, nor was there anything like an angelic choir. Yet, he was still so beautiful. 

“I really missed you,” I murmured, my want taking over. “I need you.” 

I ran my lips over his collarbone. He didn’t shudder. I climbed up his throat and made it to his dry lips. Regardless, I kissed them. Those lips suited someone who had once been able to say such harsh words. I felt him reciprocate my kiss, his tongue pushing deep into my mouth. His hands dug into my back. I opened my eyes and saw that his eyes were still wide open. Pulling away, he gave me one final smile as he pulled me deep into the frigid waters. 

Before I closed my eyes, I saw his lips part. 

  
_ Ryoga, I hope you’ll forgive me.  _


	9. 'Til Death Do Us Part

#  Chapter 9: ‘Til Death Do Us Part

“Thomas!” called Christopher as he knocked on the door. “It’s your brothers and father!” 

_ Silence.  _ Michael furrowed his brows. Thomas had always quickly opened the doors to his family. 

“Perhaps he’s in the pool room,” he suggested, receiving a nod from their father. 

Christopher frowned and took out his own set of keys. He quickly unlocked the door and hurried towards the backyard. They had received a mysterious call from a few nights ago. When they picked up the phone, they were greeted by the calm voice of Kamishiro Rio. The calm was quickly broken by her crying and stifled sobs a few moments later. 

_ “He-he’s gone absolutely delusional! _ ” she had said. 

Michael attempted to pull a coherent story from the prosecutor from the best of his abilities. Yet even as Rio told her story, his brows remained knitted. What followed was a jumble of sentences, tightly laced together, the plot almost incoherent. It had taken him a few attempts to understand the story to its full extent, yet even then he remained perplexed. Not even their father could understand from the first time. After what had felt like an hour-long struggle, Rio had finally hung up, her pieced together story scribbled out in confused notes.

Michael, his brother and their father were left in contemplative silence as they pored over Michael’s handwriting. Thomas had not been picking up his phone as of late. This was most likely the reason why, as fantastical as it sounded.  _ A shark?  _ Yes.  _ A shark. A real life bloody pet shark.  _ Michael still couldn’t believe it, even as they hurried towards the pool room. Perhaps in her grief, Rio was exaggerating. 

They passed by the wilted sunflowers and rotting fruit. Once, this place had been neatly organized and Thomas had often invited his family over for barbecues. Michael missed the feeling of spending time besides his brother, the two of them sitting on the patio and messily eating hamburgers together. It reminded them of their time in the orphanage. Perhaps the fare had been considered far too common for their brother Christopher, but for them, it was a passageway to the carefree past. He could almost see them together, laughing under the gazebo. It had been awhile since he had seen his brother smile. 

Christopher swung open the door to the pool room and immediately turned away in revulsion. Even from a distance, Michael could smell the acrid tang of blood and something rotting. He saw that the waters were red but his brother’s frame obscured the rest. Nonchalantly, their father walked past his two sons, lacking a nose to smell such things. 

“Oh my,” their shrunken father uttered. 

Burying his nose into the sleeve of his shirt, Christopher peered into the room with watery eyes. They soon widened as he saw the state of the pool.

“Thomas..!” he gasped, his voice muffled beneath his sleeve. 

Bits of bone and gristle floated in the gruesome soup. At the edge of the pool was a pile of clothes, haphazardly thrown aside. Before Michael could join the two, he froze as he saw a dark shadow leap out of the fetid water. A shark, dark as ink, shoe in the golden hue of the early September sunlight. 

His frightened screams filled the air. 


	10. Epilogue: Closed

##  THE HEARTLAND CHRONICLER

_ BODIES OF DUEL CHAMPION IV AND HUSBAND RYOGA “SHARK” KAMISHIRO DISCOVERED IN BODY OF GIGANTIC SHARK _

__

_ Sunday afternoon, authorities were alerted by family members of Thomas “IV” Arclight that a gruesome scene had been discovered at his mansion’s pool house. In the pool, a rare species of shark was seen swimming among the remains of the famous duel champion. It was unclear how long he had been killed before this discovery.  _

_ Animal control quickly neutralized the beast and an autopsy quickly followed. Inside of the shark were the upper body remains of Ryoga “Shark” Kamishiro and IV. The couple’s wedding rings were also found.  _

_ No further comments were available from family members of either victim.  _

_ Tonight, various television, radio and holo-vision programs will feature special tributes towards both celebrities. Either on the battlefield or on the stage, both men were shining stars in their own rights. The dueling industry will be sad to see them go.  _

__ With a small sigh, Don closed the newspaper. A small part of him had known that this would have happened. He sipped his tea and regarded Thomas’ contract. Even more so after his death, a signature that featured his full name was highly prized among collectors.  _ But what value did that hold in the face of a life?  _

Don placed his teacup down and took the contract in both of his hands. He ran through the clauses once again. 

_ Allow him to be seen by no one.  _

_ Fill his tank with fresh salt water daily.  _

_ Never let him starve.  _

It was the final clause that must have been broken. Don massaged his temples and leaned back in his chair after he placed the contract back in its folder. They had both been starving, he suspected. One for forgiveness and one for food. The compromise had been deadly. Yet, he  _ had  _ warned Thomas.

_ I hope this is what you wanted,  _ he thought as he remembered the lithe outline of the shark. Even for the thin chance of becoming human, he sensed that the shark would have done anything. Likewise, Thomas would have done anything to get Ryoga back. To him, the shark had just been the same as any mythical mermaid and Thomas like any other fool. A small smile quirked at the edges of his lips when he remembered yet another mermaid myth. 

He had once been told that mermaid tears crystallized into pearls. Privately, he had always thought that a few of those pearls would have turned out to be imitation pearls. He wondered what the shark’s tears would have crystallized into. 


End file.
